Roll with it. Some manufacturers claim that their play yards fold compactly and easily, which is especially important if you'll be traveling with it or assembling and disassembling it often. See for yourself how easy it is by practicing on floor models in the store before you buy. Some parents find that while they can collapse their play yard in a jiffy, fitting the whole thing into its travel bag is almost impossible. If traveling with the play yard is important to you, look at the travel bags when you are shopping.
This play-pen features a picture house, ball spinners, play telephone, and a swinging hinged door with safety lock. The size of this playpen can increase or decrease by removing or adding panels. It also may create interest and encourage mobility for your child. Makes a great holiday gift. FEATURES: Good quality; Perfect for children up to 4 yrs of age; 8 Panels; Activity board: picture house, play phone; Swinging hinged doors, and safety lock on doors; Assembled dimensions: 63'' in diameter, panels: 31" W x 23.5" H
Whatever its name, the concept of the playpen reveals yet another fault line in the politics of anxious parenting, as I found via a simple inquiry—whether the playpen was in or out of vogue—at Urbanbaby.com, a site that combines the neurotic firepower of Woody Allen’s 1970s oeuvre with the conviviality-tinged-with-hostility of the Mos Eisley cantina in Star Wars. Reading through the various replies (including a few from parents-to-be who shared my curiosity), the opinions seemed to fall roughly into two camps: Against were those who said playpens are overly confining, that it is better to child-proof one’s home instead, that playpens are “the first compromise to good parenting” (inevitably followed by television, etc.); on the other side were those who averred that playpens are safe and necessary spaces to park toddlers while getting things done, that it is folly to suggest that one’s parental eyes can always be trained on the child, that far from restricting creativity playpens enhance a sense of independence, etc.
If your play yard is going to function mostly as a play space for your baby, or you're on a tight budget, you can probably go with a basic model and skip the accessories such as mobiles and bassinet insert. A pair of lockable wheels or swivel casters on one end of the yard will make it easier to move from room to room. If you'll use it for travel, you'll want a play yard that's lightweight, folds quickly and compactly, and has a carrying case. You may even want to be able to roll the packed unit. A carrying bag that allows the play yard's wheels to roll when it's packed is ideal.
The reversible napper and changer is a great way to save a bit of space and even money. All you need to do is turn the napper by 360 degrees and it turns into a changer. There is a secure switch that can be only controlled by an adult, which facilitates this movement. There is also a toy bar, which is also completely detachable, to hang your baby’s toys.
She continued: “It’s as if you asked a climate-change scientist whether the fact that you bought a Prius would make a hurricane less likely in New Orleans this summer. Carbon makes a big difference and so does care-giving, but not at that scale. Of course if you kept a baby confined in a playpen and never took him out that would probably make a difference, but nobody actually would do that.” While science does suggest crawling strongly influences the way babies think and learn, she points out “babies in playpens are crawling and exploring too, of course.” Her last bit of advice? “Parents should try to think not ‘How will this affect my baby in the long run?’—who knows?—but ‘Is this helping my baby and me to thrive right now?’ ” That, she says, depends on what you and your situation are like—and only you know that.
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The debate over the playpen, in the end, seems less about the thing itself than one of the eternal conditions of parental pathos: the fact that children demand so much of our attention and that we cannot always give it to the extent we (and they) would wish. As I’ve been writing this I—a modern father with “manifold duties”—have had to occasionally give time to the nearby girl I’ve stashed in the Fisher-Price “Cradle ‘n’ Swing” (some bylaw must require that children’s product names use ’n’ in place of and), which for all I know may simply be the infant forerunner to the playpen. (My friends nervously and jokingly call it the “Neglect-o-Meter.”) Yes, my lack of attention may be stunting her development—shaving a notch off that IQ—but my failure to write portends more sweeping consequences, like the lack of a roof over our heads.
Love this pen, it's the best. Easy to assemble, colorful, has a nice open feel so our baby isn't in prison and cut off from the family activity. BUT BE WARNED this playpen has a design flaw that creates a choking hazzard. The play panel has some busy gears and a button baby can push to squeak. This button can be easily pulled off by baby and will be in two small parts, the button and the plastic squeaker. Both parts are small enough to cause a choking hazzard, our 11mo had the whole button cap in her mouth. So before you think about turning your back on your baby in this pen for a second, I'd recommend removing these parts yourself. Great play pen in every other way.
Consumer Reports is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to helping consumers. We make it easy to buy the right product from a variety of retailers. Clicking a retailer link will take you to that retailer’s website to shop. When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission – 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our mission. Learn more. Our service is unbiased: retailers can’t influence placement. All prices are subject to change.
This is a simple and colorful playpen that you can place at any spot of your choice to make a quick, safe playing enclosure for your baby. The six panels of the playpen latch firmly to one another. They can also be extended to increase the play area with two additional panels sold separately. The base pads do not slip, thus grounding the playpen firmly.
Pretty good. Fits into lots of our gear - glider, pack and play, rock and play. (I found a portable mobile to be better for the glider bc the span is a bit wide for this but I could have made do with this.) think that adds a little more life to these things. The rings allow you to add other toys. I do this a lot when I put on the pack and play bc mine is a cheaper model that doesn’t have the bassinet feature so little man is just all the way down in there. The hanging toys that come with it are ok. Baby doesn’t seem too interested but they are cute. The middle piece keeps falling which is annoying. Price is fair.
ATTENTION moms, grandparents, babysitters... I bought this for my one year old grandson, actually 2, 1 for my house and 1 for my daughter's house. She told me a week or so ago that he'd removed one of the suction cups (there are 2 on the bottom of each panel), I thought it must have been a fluke, but I'm either in there with him or very close by, didn't think it would happen again. Just tonight, while I was maybe 5 feet away, watching him play, he somehow got a suction cup off one of the panels and into his mouth. This could have been a tragedy!
• You don't need a sheet. Most play yard mattresses, which are thin, can be cleaned, and the bassinet is safer without this extra piece of material, in which a baby could become entrapped. But if you do use one, make sure it is tight-fitting and specifically made for the mattress or bassinet insert on your model. Never use a sheet made for a crib mattress or twin or other size bed.
Portability: Are you going to be taking your playpen to other houses? Perhaps you might want to spend a day at the park, where a playpen would be a handy way to keep your baby safe and let them play alone while you read a book? If you think you might be taking your playpen outside of the home, be sure to choose one that can fold up for easy transport.
This Baby Playpen for kids has 10 panels.The material is safe and non-toxic, you can rest assured to use. This playpen features a swinging hinged door with safety lock. In addition, you may assemble this gate as different form. The swinging hinged door is equipped with a safety lock to keep the kids in. The size and shape of playpen is adjustable by adding or removing panels or by placing panel in different shape. It also may create interest and encourage mobility for your child. Makes a great holiday gift. WARNING: adult need to stay with baby full time when use this product, do not left baby alone in this product, make sure baby do not eat the sticker and the floor sucker and other removable part.

❤【HIGHT QUANTITY】 Each baby fence panel bottom is outfitted with upgrade rubberized suction cups that play yard create a sturdy base designed to withstand sliding and baby playpen manipulation from your mobile child. The baby playpen does not have those vertical open spaces where they can trap their little arms and legs and get injured, twisted extremities Baby playpen play yard baby fence.

There’s no right or wrong pick for a playard here. If you only need a portable play space for when your baby or toddler is on the move, choose a basic model. If you’d rather have one that can sub in as a diaper changing station or bassinet, select a playard with more bells and whistles. If you do decide a playard will make your life as a parent easier, be sure to add one to your registry today!

If your play yard is going to function mostly as a play space for your baby, or you're on a tight budget, you can probably go with a basic model and skip the accessories such as mobiles and bassinet insert. A pair of lockable wheels or swivel casters on one end of the yard will make it easier to move from room to room. If you'll use it for travel, you'll want a play yard that's lightweight, folds quickly and compactly, and has a carrying case. You may even want to be able to roll the packed unit. A carrying bag that allows the play yard's wheels to roll when it's packed is ideal.
We have a new puppy. We got one of those wire pens for him. Unfortunately, he almost immediately figured out he could climb the cross wires! He was out in a flash. SO we got this pen. It is almost perfect. It will be perfect when we get done. The bars are in general about two inches wide. Those he cannot get through. But the gate is a different matter. The bars around the hinge and latch areas are about a half inch wider--probably to accommodate the mechanics of the gate latch and hinge. But that is just enough wider that our puppy can get his shoulders through. Maybe the rest of his body, but we intervened.
At the higher end of the price spectrum, you'll see a lot of add-on features. For example, the Graco Silhouette Pack ‘n Play Playard with Bassinet and Changer, about $170, has a removable changing table (with an "organizer" to hold diapers, wipes, etc.) and a bassinet feature. The bassinet has a maximum weight capacity of 15 pounds and the changing table has a weight capacity of 25 pounds. This model also comes with a vibrating mattress, electronic mobile, canopy, console with music, and night light. The manufacturer says you should only use the play yard with children under 35 inches tall.
The super-light playard folds up into a backpack case so your arms are still free to hold your little one and a diaper bag. Unlike the other playards in our top picks, this one features a zippered side door so you can lay down with your baby to nurse or cuddle him to sleep and then draw away once he’s in dreamland. The open side door also lets babies and toddlers go in and out of their special place, when you want them to, which makes the playard more like a play fort. Once you get the hang of it, the Lotus Everywhere Crib sets up in 15 seconds and the extra-long mattress lays flat on the floor.

Bought this for my 9 month old who is crawling and cruising around his pack and play but needed something bigger. Very happy with this purchase except the suction cups don’t work well on my hard wood floor which was mentioned on the paper instructions but wish it was mentioned on here. That’s pretty much why I bought this one. Still sturdy though when my baby pulls himself up and stands holding on to it. Overall, baby loves it and I highly recommend it!

Love this pen, it's the best. Easy to assemble, colorful, has a nice open feel so our baby isn't in prison and cut off from the family activity. BUT BE WARNED this playpen has a design flaw that creates a choking hazzard. The play panel has some busy gears and a button baby can push to squeak. This button can be easily pulled off by baby and will be in two small parts, the button and the plastic squeaker. Both parts are small enough to cause a choking hazzard, our 11mo had the whole button cap in her mouth. So before you think about turning your back on your baby in this pen for a second, I'd recommend removing these parts yourself. Great play pen in every other way.
Regalo 4-In-1 192-inch Super Playpen comes with a wide adjustable gate that comes with 192-inches wide area and 28-inches tall. The play yard allows you to convert a wide gate into an eight-panel play area and each panel can be easily adjusted to fit any gap. The Regalo play yard is a perfect option and best for angled openings, doorways, wide spaces, the bottom of stairs, and hallways. Also, it is easy to assemble and no tools needed, easy to fold as well.